Alan Wake - How To Unlock The Gunless Wonder Achievement

The Gunless Wonder achievement is one of the more difficult in Alan Wake. Players have to traverse almost all of the game's six episodes without firing a single weapon, only being able to use their torch, flares or the handy flashbangs for protection. This article provides a guide on how to do this.

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Alan Wake - Gunless Wonder Achievement Guide

In Alan Wake, Gunless Wonder is the name attributed to one of the fifty available and attainable achievements found in the game. Like many of the different achievements in Alan Wake, Gunless Wonder tasks the player with doing something specific and trying to meet a set condition in order to obtain the 30 gamer points it rewards them with after unlocking it. This particular achievement is obtained once the player has reached the last of six chapters -- entitled Departure -- without firing a single weapon during the entire game. This article provides a guide on how to unlock the Alan Wake Gunless Wonder achievement and how to stop yourself from firing flares or weapons at the Taken.

In a similar fashion to other, more difficult Alan Wake achievements -- such as Child of The Elder God -- players will find Gunless Wonder to be one of the few that deserves a walkthrough and guide. While this one may be less frivolous than "Let There Be Light" or "Back, Back I Say!", it still rewards only an incremental fraction more gamerscore for the arduous task. It is a shame that such a difficult and infuriating achievement such as Gunless Wonder doesn't net players a healthier amount of points for their troubles, but then again when are the points the line across the sand for achievements anyways.

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How To Obtain Gunless Wonder In Alan Wake

The Gunless Wonder achievement is unlocked by successfully not using or firing a single weapon until the end sequence at Cauldron Lake. While the use of a pistol, shotgun or rifle is completely out of the question, there are means to navigate this supposedly impossible task. Fortunately for both the player & Alan Wake, there are usable flashbangs, flares and cars that can help in completing the levels presented in the game without firing any bullets off. A runthrough of Gunless Wonder should be attempted on the normal -- both the default and lowest choice -- difficulty setting. It should also be pointed out that upon completion of the achievement, players will receive a healthy 30 gamerscore for their efforts.

As stated above, the use of flashbangs, flares and lanterns/torches are not prohibited, therefore in levels rich with each of these three things, Alan can utilise them against the sea of Taken enemies that confront him. Unfortunately, flares can only be set off and thrown as opposed to fired out of the flare gun, which makes the multiple crow encounters both daunting and challenging. The Heavy-Duty Lantern can take away the shields of Taken quicker than the lighter variety of torch, therefore it is a crucial pickup, especially if you want to keep the enemies at bay while navigating through the darkened forest. Flashbangs are available at certain story moments and provide a grenade attack against several foes.

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Alan Wake - Gunless Wonder Playthrough Tips

The most difficult challenge presented when trying to unlock the Alan Wake Gunless Wonder achievement comes from the series of crescendo and standoff events that occur during the game. For instance, the fight next to the helicopter or the concert standoff on the Anderson’s farm are two examples of these Left 4 Dead inspired battles, whereby the player must holdout against multiple waves of Taken. There will be aid in the form of other humans -- such as Alan’s agent Barry or Sheriff Breaker -- while plentiful stocks of flares can distract the Taken long enough for Alan to take them out with flashbangs. When dealing with regular gameplay, running is often the best option when confronted by Taken.

The checkpoint system in Alan Wake helps greatly in gaining the Gunless Wonder achievement. Being able to make all enemies dissappear when stepping into the spotlight of a checkpoint can be the difference between surviving without using a weapon or desperately brandishing a gun to deal with the overwhelming odds. This mechanic, coupled with the use of the area-of-effect flashbangs and flares (without the flare gun) gives you enough of an arsenal to deal with most of the Taken you encounter. If in doubt, run to a checkpoint. Lastly, being able to drive over Taken and explore the map via vehicular transport can save time & Alan’s stamina also.